Hmmm...when does a week start anyway?

So I just dropped H off at work and will start on laundry soon. I've tons of it to do. I made myself a pot of coffee and am working on mug number one. I just realized that I didn't have a single cup yesterday. My body must have been overtaken by some strange alien lifeform for me not to have a coffee yesterday. That just isn't right. Mind you I have dropped my caffeine intake since I stopped smoking. I need to drop some of my caloric intake now. LOL. Sure hope that StopaMinit sells MGD 64 for cheap. Ha!

Anyways when does a week start? In my mind it starts when my weekend ends which would mean Sunday night is the end of my week and Monday is the beginning of my week. For normal people who pay attention to calendars I would hazard the guess that Sunday is the start of the week. Why is that an issue in my mind anyways? Does it really make a difference? Probably not. I was just wondering as I was driving back home from Food Lion listening to "Sister Moonshine" by Supertramp in the car. Strange what pops into one's mind at times.

Earlier this week as I was walking back to my car in my work parking lot, I noticed a bumper sticker that said "when the rapture comes, this car will be empty". I just shook my head. My first thought was that I wouldn't see that up north on a bumper sticker. My second thought was which of the raptures will this be? Didn't we just have one? My third thought was how Christian of an act would that be assuming that a rapture would happen and said person would be driving this car with the bumper sticker and then disappear as he or she was driving leaving this car unattended or driverless possibly wreaking havoc on the roadway? Trying to get past that third thought. Doesn't work. I'm curious to see whose car that is. I noticed that it was parked in the handicapped area.

Starting mug number two. Yum. Don't get me started on handicapped parking spots. Okay they are needed. There are some people that truly have mobility issues and they need to have the option to park close to where they need to be. My issue though is that it seems here in SC you get a handicapped parking sticker for a three year time frame if you have stubbed your toe. It is unbelievable how many people have the stickers and when you see them get out of the car you don't notice any real physical infirmity. It seems that if your spouse has an issue you can get a sticker too. Now if you are a two car family you can have two stickers. This implies that the able-bodied spouse can use the handicapped sticker even if the other person isn't in the car. I have seen this over and over near handicapped parking spots. Maybe they need to come up with another pictogram for handicapped people. You have one for the mobility impaired and you have one for the brainwave impaired. For the latter you can a picture of someone's head and have a For Rent sign super-imposed where the person's brain should be.

Okay that felt good. It has bugged me forever. LOL. Okay I should get busy with stuff around the house now. Jinx/Jynx doesn't seem to want to help with the laundry. That darn cat!

More Musings....

So here I am on this quiet Saturday evening having a couple of Milwaukee's Best Ice and winding down my day. I was pretty quiet today and tonight. Made burgers on the grill. Picked H up at work. Watched a bit of the Navy-SC game. Watched a bit of the Cards-Phillies game. Sorted through more paperwork. More shredding in the garage.

I almost feel like I am making progress in eliminating the clutter in my life. For years and years I have been like a packrat with paperwork and I guess clothes as well. My mission in the last little while is to go through this stuff. Shred what isn't needed. Keep what is needed. Wash the clothes that still fit H and I and wash and sort the stuff that doesn't and bring it to a place where the needy can get it if they want.

About 15 minutes ago my sciatic issues popped up again. Dang that is annoying. Popped another pill just to get through the next couple of hours relatively pain-free. I am looking forward to my next massage. The massage therapist should loosen up my calf and hamstring nicely. I need to start doing more stretches as she pointed out. I am sure that it would help. Losing weight would also help I would think. I got on a scale earlier this week and I took my glasses off just to verify if what it said was what it actually was. Much to my chagrin it was.

Been spending the last hour or so listening and kind of viewing videos on YouTube. Trying to find songs that I haven't heard in forever and a day. Been listening to England Dan and John Ford Coley, Manic Street Preachers, old Paul McCartney and Wings, The Payolas, Max Webster, Kim Mitchell, Strange Advance and The Spoons.

I can't imagine a world or my world without music. It's been there for me to identify with, to understand things better, to bring joy and peace (okay that does sound a bit much but it is true), to calm me, soothe me and keep me company. Happening upon a song that describes what you think or what you feel about something is amazing. I instantly identify songs with key moments in my life. It's amazing how certain songs are so closely identified with a time, a place or a person in my life. I think that would make a great blog topic or two. Perhaps that will be the focus of my next blogs. There sure is lots of material there...

Mixed CD meanderings...

So when I last left off I mentioned that I was going to write about the CD that I am listening to tonight. Let me preface all of this by stating that is just after midnight here and I am wide awake after sleeping a couple of hours on the couch earlier. I haven't slept a normal night's sleep in months. I mention this because sometimes when I'm blathering on here it seems to make perfect sense as I type but it may not to the typical person. Oh well I am stating a disclaimer as they do for drug ads on TV. At least reading my blogs do not lead to instances of death and/or strokes. LOL.

Onto the music we go. I think I am going to this in numerical form. Track by track. Here we go...

1. "Strange Dreams" Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush (1982)
I added this song to the CD that I burned way back when as I always have to have Canadian music on my CDs. Often these were burned to bring along on my rides up to the Great White North. Why this song? It has a cool synth line in the background. At least it sounds like a synth. LOL. Simple as that.

2. "Resurrection" Moist (1996)
Okay this song just rocks. At times it seems like David Usher is speaking or talking rather than singing but it is just the way the song goes. It's just an out and out rocker from an alternative rock band from Vancouver. I always thought of them as being from Montreal. Weird. The song comes the band's 2nd album. LOL. Showing my age here referring to albums. Hey I have the cassette version of this album. I am allowed.

3. "The Fly" U2 (1991)
This came off "Achtung Baby". The sounds on this album were completely new for U2 I think. The song has a great beat. Bono sings it normal and sometimes he goes falsetto. It showcases Edge's guitar playing and the different sounds he can get. I hear the song and it gets me moving in my chair. It is a chair dancing song! LOL.

4. "This Could Be The Right One" April Wine (1984)
Hmmmm I like this song. It is by far not the best song by April Wine. Another Canadian band. However it kind of has a catchy beat. Kind of formulaic at times. That being said though I am pretty sure that I may be one of the few that has this song playing loud in my car in Simpsonville. Hey at least it isn't Lynyrd Skynyrd for the millionth time. I do remember the video being kind of cheesy. I think the band members were wearing what was considered stylish at the time. Funny looking boots 20+ years later. Ha.

5. "Sledgehammer" BTO (1974)
Imagine that another Canadian band. This song is best listened to as loud as possible. Like the title of the song, the sound never lets up. It will never be confused with the Peter Gabriel song that has the same name. Starts out hard. Continues hard. Ends hard. Has a slow part right at the start but then batten down the hatches. You're like a sledgehammer! Randy Bachmann and Fred Turner take turns singing. It will never be mistaken for a love song!

6. "Trashed" Black Sabbath (1983)
The Ian Gillan version of Black Sabbath. This man has pipes. Another balls out rocker. This song does not let up. Bill Ward on the drums plays this song like he is possessed. One of the fastest and hardest beats I have ever heard. Turns out Ian Gillan wrote this song after getting drunk and taking Geezer Butler's car for a spin.

7. "Precious Declaration" Collective Soul (1997)
A song from one of my favorite bands that just happen to have originated about 150 miles of where I am sitting right now. Starts off with drums, then one guitar and then another guitar and here comes Ed Roland. For some strange reason I see this song as a hip preacher at a pulpit giving a real cool sermon. This song has religious connotations to me. That is too funny! It really isn't but some of the lyrics give me that imagery.

8. "Time Of Our Lives" David Usher (2003)
Well another Canadian rock song. This one is from the former lead singer of Moist who appear on this CD on track two. This is the first mellow song on the CD. The song has a nice acoustic sound to it and David's lyrics aren't run of the mill. It is a thinking song to me.

9. "Lust For Life" Iggy Pop (1977)
Co-written by David Bowie along with Iggy. Starts off with a 1m15s instrumental that just has you tapping your toes on the floor and your fingers on the table. Any song that has you dancing like hypnotized chickens can not be bad.

10. "All We Are" Kim Mitchell(1984)
Ah back to Canadian music from the former frontman of Max Webster. I always think of the best place to listen to this song is on a warm, cloudless, star-filled night laying down with a glass of wine or two staring at the sky with this song playing in the background. It is one of those atmospheric sounding songs. To me it is also a song that we question ourselves about our place and reason for being here. Isn't staring at the sky a perfect time and place to ask those kinds of questions? I think so.

11. "Stayed Awake All Night" Krokus (1983)
Okay with a name like Krokus, it has to be a hard rock song, doesn't it? When you think of Switzerland you think of chocolate, clocks, mountains and yodeling. LOL. Well I do. You don't think of a hard rock / heavy metal band that was very popular in the early 80s. Krokus often had covers of other popular rock songs on their albums and this is one of them. The song was written by Randy Bachmann and recorded originally with the Guess Who. This version is actually not much different than the original version. Perhaps the background sounds and echoes are a little more modern sounding than the original. One of those songs that if playing in my car, it is on loud and chances are my head is going up and down to the beat of the song. LOL. I am nearly 50 yr. old head banger. Hehe.

12. "Gasoline" Moist (1996)
The second song on this CD from the band Moist. This song is from the same album as "Resurrection" and the sound is completely different. It's a ballad. A sad ballad. I never really understood the lyrics or meaning to the song. It seems like a song where someone is hurting someone else. It just seems so sad.

13. "Woman In Chains" Tears For Fears (1989)
A beautiful song featuring the vocals of Oleta Adams along with Roland Orzabal. While the meaning behind the song points out that unfortunately man seems to hold the balance of power in many facets of life it also point that if woman did perhaps things would be a little calmer, a little nicer,a little serener. I think that the video to this song is too blunt. You tend to focus on the aggressivity of man vis-a-vis woman. The song ends on a high note with the refrain of "so free". Is it because man chose to look at his feminine side? Is it because the woman has left the man? It is in the thoughts of the listener I would think.

14. "Why Can't We Live Together" Steve Winwood (2003)
A beautiful remake of the Timmy Thomas one-hit wonder by the most soulful white man ever. The diction, the phrasing, the sound of Steve Winwood's honeyed voice is perfect for this song. Musically it isn't all different than the original. I believe that it is a homage to the original. A way of pointing out the greatness of the song originally released way back in 1972. I hear this song and I think of rippling waves or undulating shoulders. LOL. Don't try undulating shoulders if you have no rhythm like I. You can poke your eye out.

15. "Ahead By A Century" Tragically Hip (1996)
Ah more Canadian music. This song was on my summer playlist of the summer of 1996. This song brings back memories of my being on Melmerby Beach (NS) with Harrison spending time with my Mom and Blaine. On this beach I would bring a radio/ tape player and I would be able to pick up a top 40 station from across the water in Charlottetown, PEI. This song was in heavy rotation then. It is a pretty song. A song of memories and thoughts. "No dress rehearsal, this is our life". Great lyric.

16. "One" U2 (1991)
Off Achtung Baby as well just like track 3 on this mix CD. Much like the Moist song choices; this U2 song is the complete opposite of "The Fly". I saw U2 perform this live at the old Montreal Forum and the "Zoo TV" tour. This song like many U2 songs was a total sing-a-long when played live. It is simply a beautiful song. In latter years it was used to raise funds for AIDS research, it was used by Bono along with Starbucks to help in Africa. How many songs are there out there that have that kind of power? The remake done in 2006 with Mary K. Blige is pretty as well. This song is one of those bring tears of joy songs I think.

17. "Good Vibrations" Beach Boys (1966).
Isn't this song amazing? It is 45 years old and sounds as fresh as ever and it doesn't sound dated at all. Brian Wilson is and was an absolute musical genius when he came up with this song. I think that this song if listened when totally depressed has the power to erase all of those feelings at least for 3m37s of running time. It is that powerful! Praise the Lord for this joyful sound!

So that's it for this CD. Pretty darn eclectic. It was nice to write about as well as listen to it as it was played. I think it is time to search out some of these songs on YouTube.

This and that...

So this is going to be a this and that blog as I wait for the ibuprofen to kick in to help alleviate the pain in my right hamstring and buttock. Getting older has not been easy for me especially since I packed on the pounds after quitting smoking almost a year and a half ago. My sciatic nerve is killing me.

Not smoking has been great. The one sense that really has returned is my sense of smell. While this is a good thing when around a nice or pleasant aroma; it really bites when that isn't the case though. I've realized how bad smokers smell. I never ever noticed when I smoked what I smelled like but I can now imagine what it was like. Everytime a smoker gets on the elevator at work I have a holy eff moment. LOL. That used to be me I think as I edge as far away as I can inconspicuously. Ugh.

Don't get me started on restrooms smells. LOL. Okay that is not the most intellectual comment that I have ever made. Far from it. Though it is very valid. Publc restroom smells are hmmmmm gross! Trying to think of a better word but I couldn't.

"Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys just came on my CD player. Man that is an amazing song. The beat. The sounds. The harmonies. The weird lyrics. The electro-theremin. The electro-theremin you say. That was a trivia question this week. Didn't get that answer right. I knew what the trivia guy was referring to but I had no idea what the instrument was called. Here's a good did you know question. Who played guitar on the original version of the song? Hint #1. He was involved with Tanya Tucker for awhile. Hint #2 for those that don't know Tanya Tucker (LOL). He sang about cowboys that liked gaudy jewelry. Hint #3 is that he had a show on CBS I believe back in his heyday with the "good time" hour in the title. Okay the last hint really sucks as it may not even be factually correct. That almost sounds like everything that is stated at a GOP debate in 2011. Strike down hint #3. Hint #2 should have identified Glen Campbell. If it didn't I could have mentioned that annoying "Southern Nights" song. Southern nights, oh southern nights. Oh STFU song. Dang that song is annoying. "Good Vibrations" on the other hand is simply effing amazing. Pardon my French. Hehe. Darn that song came out in 1966 when I was 4 years old. Simply effin amazing. Hmmmm. Are we going to be referring to Bruno Mars songs in the year 2056? Somehow I doubt that. Tell you what though. When I am 94 I will write a blog about a Bruno Mars song. I just hope that in 2056 my sciatic nerve won't be hurting anymore. Typing 2056 as a year is really really weird. Those ibuprofens have kicked in! LOL.

The CD that I am listening to is great. It is one of my mixed ones. I'm going to blog about that next. I already have in the past when I used to blog on MySpace. Why oh why didn't I keep my 250 blogs saved somewhere? I could have replastered this space with my blatherings about this and that and the other thing. Oh well I can rewrite most of those I guess. O:). That is supposed to be a smiley face. Doesn't quite look that way.

Damn my Nationals lost toinght to the Marlins. They could lose to any other team; just don't lose to Loria's team. Grrr. Don't get me started on that man along with his son-in-law that played a large role in the disappearance of my beloved Montreal Expos. They got shut out for the 14th time this year. Tied for 2nd most in MLB. Probably tied with the Padres and behind the Giants. Padres another 1969 team. They made it to a World Series though at least. My Expos slash Nats still waiting.

Oh wait Black Sabbath "Trashed" just came on the CD player. WTF is that song about? These lyrics are weird. I have to find them online now and blog about this CD that I am listening to tonight. Back in a few with a new blog.

This and that. Over and out. I think the ibuprofen have kicked in. I am not making too much sense am I?

A Tale of Two Rickards Pt.II...

So I got home and logged on my work email to check my flight details and saw that my flight was at 630am to Atlanta. That was a holy eff moment. LOL. It's 535am and I am supposed to be at the airport for a 630am flight. I am effed!!! I haven't even packed. Nothing like waiting to the last possible minute to take care of things that could have easily been taken care of the day before. So anyways I find a suitcase and do a whizbang job of filling it up. When I got to Toronto I discovered that I forgot a toothbrush, nail clippers, long sleeve shirts and a belt. Made sure that I had enough underwear with 8 pairs for a 4 day trip.

It is now 555am and I'm back on the road to GSP for my 630am flight. This is not going to work. I wonder how much this will cost me to get a new flight. Pretty sure that I drove as fast as I could to get to the airport without getting nabbed for speeding. Fortunately I was able to park closer to the terminal at the new sky-level at $6 a day.

So now I am at a Delta kiosk feeding it my credit card to get my boarding passes and lo and behold my flight really was at 730am and I am actually there an hour and ten minutes early. LOL. Calmness descended upon at that time. I actually had time for breakfast and another coffee. Yay!

I had a decent breakfast and got some much needed caffeine into me and proceeded to board my plane. Okay not my plane, Delta's plane. Turns out I have a window seat (ugh) and my aisle of three seats is filled and the guy in the middle seat is not exactly tiny and has staked his position for this flight. This is not going to be a good flight. I pretty much spent the flight leaning forward as I could not lean back as my shoulders wouldn't fit into that space. Thank goodness this was short flight. I love air travel when one is 6'5" something and weigh 270lbs. I really need to slim back down to my normal 225lbs. It's great that I quit smoking a year and half ago but did I really need to get that 7 months pregnant look going. LOL.

Anyways made it to Atlanta and promptly had to pop a back pain pill just so that I could walk to my next flight. I had close to a 2hr. layover for my flight to Buffalo so more coffee is required pronto. I've come to the conclusion that being in an airport especially one as busy as Atlanta's is not my cup of tea or better yet cup of joe.

The flight to Buffalo is uneventful and I had an aisle seat so that was a little more comfy as I could actually put my legs in the aisle at times. Had another coffee on the plane along with those biscottis that they give you. Damn those cookies are good. I could eat those all day long I think. Yeah right that would do wonders for my weight.

It is now past 1pm when I get to the National rental car counter and get my relatively new Nissan Sentra. Kind of a small car but it does afford me more leg room in the driver's seat than my Sorento. Surprisingly so. Only thing I didn't really like is that after driving a crossover for close to 4 years, I felt like I was on the ground when I was driving this car during my 4-5 days there.

So I get my car and get out of the airport and promptly get lost. LOL. Even with the garmin that was working at this time. Turns out I was following signs for the American Niagara Falls and not the Canadian one that is right next to Buffalo. I was going out of my way by about 15 miles it seems. Anyways I made it to the Canadian border via a different route and paid around $5 in tolls which I had never done in my previouse border crossings.

I do the customs thing and then get myself on my way to Toronto which is 90 minutes or so away. I then discovered that when I tried to enter the airport hotel address into the GPS thing it wasn't working once I crossed into Ontario. Wonderful I am going to spend the next week getting lost if I don't get that going. I have zero and I mean absolute zero sense of direction. This will be fun.

I noticed a visitors centre (Cdn. spelling haha) and I was able to get a couple of maps to get me to the hotel. I managed to get myself to the Four Points Sheraton next to the airport after dealing with the QEW, 401 and 427 traffic. People drive these highways every day. Holy eff Batman, that must not be fun!

I checked myself into the room and then unpack so that I hopefully won't have to iron anything and that is when I discovered what I forgot to bring. Great now I have to find a pharmacy to get the much required supplies.

Before I do that I decide to stop into the hotel bar lobby and grab a good old Canadian beer. I get myself a Rickards Red draft and that went down right quick. I got engrossed into the news coverage of Jack Layton's passing which had happened earlier in the day and called out for a refill. I didn't know much about Jack Layton but from what I saw in the coverage, I saw that he brought a lot of hope in the average Canadian. Kind of the effect that Barack Obama had on many of us a couple of years ago. That was a letdown though. More on that on a future blog though. The ongoing GOP leadership or lack thereof is stoking my political thought processes once again. Anyways back to facts Jack. I asked for my bill and then nearly fell of my chair when it came to $19.04 for Two Rickards. $9 a beer plus 13% tax. OMG. This is insane. WTF. Who pays these prices? That is absolutely crazy. $9 for a regular homegrown beer. I was going to have find a place to buy a six-pack for the rest of my trip as I can't expense that anyways and if I am paying for it, I am not dropping $57.12 for a six-pack at the hotel bar on this trip.

This my tale of Two Rickards!

A Tale of Two Rickards...

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Oops wrong reference. This blog isn't about the Dickens classic. This is about my first day in Toronto on my recently completed business trip.

As some may know I was very recently in the Toronto area visiting customer accounts on a trip that I should have done a long, long time ago. There always seemed to be something that would come up that would prevent me from doing this trip. Finally I planned it out, got the necessary permissions from my higher ups and off I was to the Toronto area.

One positive note right off the bat was knowing that I was heading to cooler climes. It has been over 90F for the last three months it seems to me. I checked the day before I left and I saw highs in the low 80s and lows right around 60. It seems to me that all that we've had here in the Upstate is highs of 100F and lows of 95F. LOL. Okay I am exaggerating somewhat but it really has been effing hot.

So the night before at around 9pm I leave I get into an absolute panic state because I can't find my traveling documentation (passport, green card) and I am supposed to be leaving at at 445am. LOL. I go through this on every trip. Totally ridiculous to be stressing myself this way but I do it every dang time. And everytime I do this I say to myself that I will put H's and my documentation in the same place so that I don't have to panic. Fortunately for me, H found my stuff in a place that I had supposedly already searched. I swear I will put the documentation in a safe place!

So paperwork found and off I am to J's place as her flight leaves GSP at 6am and mine leaves at 730am. So she is organized and packed and all that and ready to leave at some ungodly hour. As for me not quite. So I drop her off at the airport no issues and head back home to pack my suitcase. Nothing like waiting to the last minute.
More to come.

Today

So it has been awhile since I have blogged on here. I am pretty sure that my worst character trait is being a procrastinator to the nth degree. A lot of great things have happened in the last three months. A lot of not so great things have happened as well. I miss not devoting time to my writing. Given my sleep habits I have all kinds of time to write. In the past I have found my writings amusing and thought provoking. They've allowed me to recall and remember some really happy times and some times that were pretty bleak. I do need to make the effort to type some more. Perhaps my silence is because I don't have an audience here on this site. I used to think that I wrote for myself. The truth is though while I write for myself and the feelings that I express on here; I am also writing for others to see. To perhaps comment. Good or bad. Nevertheless I need to write for me. It does me a world of good.....

This and That

Well after being awake at an abnormally early time for me of either 536am or 636am depending on whether or not the instrument of time-keeping had been sprung forward; I managed to catch a few more zzzzs a little later in the morning.

I now know officially that I am up and at 'em as I am drinking my first of many coffees that I will be having today. In my world, having that first cup of coffee is a simple joy. It is just right. I am not sure how to describe it in any other way except to say that it is just so. I've noticed especially since I moved down here over 10 years ago how many people do not drink coffee in the morning. They'll go for sweet tea or coke or mountain dew or maybe just water. I can't see joy in that. LOL. Somehow I don't think that would be bring me a small moment of joy in the morning as that first coffee does for me. I may be wrong for the others but I don't think I am.

Anyways last night for a bit Harrison aka H was with his friend Eean aka E down at E's uncle place in Anderson. They had been there since late Friday night so I had the house to myself for almost 24 hours which was nice. Well not quite by myself as Jynx Jinx made her presence felt on several occasions. She did this my plopping her big body right on my chest as I was watching MLB TV yesterday afternoon or as I was napping on the couch. Or by going on one of her sneezing jags where she will sneeeze and sneeze and sniff and sniff until whatever it is that caused the major event in her life has stopped bugging her. Or by meowing to let me know that this poor cat is starving. If you have ever seen Jynx Jinx you would be quick to realize and assert the fact that this cat has never been short on food. LOL. I need to set up my scanner and get a picture of her as proof. Anyways suffice to say that she is rather well-fed. I think she is just paranoid!

So eventually I decided to make some pasta for myself and for H & E if they were going to make it back from Anderson. You know I've never been to Anderson. I've been to the Jockey Lot down there on I85 but I am not sure if that qualifies as being in Anderson. If it does, it therefore means that I have been to Anderson. Let the pigeons loose! If not, the next time I head south on I85 I will stop in somewhere in Anderson grab a coffee or a bite to eat and then knock that item off my bucket list. LOL!

Back to making pasta. Stay on track Schlewing! So I made a small batch of sauce. It isn't exactly homemade but I do add ingredients to whatever bottle of sauce I am using to make it seem homemade. Typically I am adding a combination of ground beef, hot italian sausage, red chili peppers (the spice not the band), bay leaves, garlic, onion salt or powder and whatever else catches my eye in the kitchen. None of the quantities are ever measured so sometimes the sauce is meatier than other times or sometimes it is spicier than other times. All in all though it is pretty good I think. H concurs as he tells me that this is one of my better meals per his not so sophisticated palate. LOL. I made it with fusilli pasta. I actually had to look up the name. I have always thought of it as a corkscrew pasta. I guess one can see where H gets his food sophistication. The acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree. :o)

So anyways as I was preparing this sauce and pasta I finally started on a small project that I have put off for over a year. I am terribly disorganized at home and at the office. The manner in which I keep things sorted is truly atrocious. This could be paperwork. This could be pictures and mementos. It could be bills to pay or ignore until they have to be paid. It could be tax papers. It could be investment documents. It could be clean clothes or dirty clothes for that matter. It could be books and magazines. It could be CDs and cassette tapes. Geezus I just realized how much more disorganized I am than I thought I was as I started listing these things. I need help! LOL. Hmmmm perhaps I should refer to this as a large project. I have lots of them to do in my life and home. Lots of 'em.

So as the fusilli pasta was cooking on the stovetop I started putting all of my pictures in one container of sorts. These pictures have been loosely placed in different boxes since my move into my home in September 2009 and kept in my garage or bedroom. Or they were placed in different shoeboxes also kept in my garage and my bedroom. Two months ago, maybe three months ago I bought a plastic container to put all these pictures in a central place. Well I finally started to do this last night.

Cue the smiles! Cue the tears!

In between smiling and laughing at some of these pictures especially at various stages of Harrison's life; there were moments of intense sadness when I saw pictures of my parents or more specifically my Mom. She was by no means a saint or the perfect parent but she was my Mom and last night I missed her terribly.

One of the pictures that caused the waterworks to flow was one that was taken at Mom and Blaine's apartment on July 31, 1999. The picture was taken the day before I moved down here on August 1st,1999. I am sitting down in a chair having a bad hair day. LOL. I had some hair back then. My Mom is standing behind me giving me a hug of sorts. Looking at the picture transported me back instantly to that morning when it was taken. On one hand it was a day that I was "leaving" home for good (more on that perhaps in later blog) and on the other hand it was the day that my life became a bit more simple (more on that another time perhaps). Either way I started to cry looking at the picture and I am sniffling away as I write this down now. It's sad but at the same time remembering Mom is good. Putting it out here feels good as well.

I forget sometimes how much like I writing. How much I like expressing things in this format. Anyways it is time for my 3rd mug of coffee. It has taken 2 mugs to write this. It is a lot easier to read the finished product than to write them that's for sure. :o)

Triumph - Magic Power

Well 16 hours later since my last little bit of writing and I am back on YouTube listening to songs that I have down as favorites and then this wonderfully inspiring song by Triumph starts loading. The track is "Magic Power" released way back in 1981. It's funny that so many of the songs that I love, that touch me, that make me happy, that make me sad are over 20 years old. It seems to be statement against what is being produced and marketed out there these days. Anyways I am rambling off the point once again. LOL. Back to Triumph and "Magic Power".

"Then you hear the music and it all comes crystal clear. The music does the talking, says the things you want to hear." Isn't that what a song is supposed to do? It is supposed to touch you in a way that you can probably not express in such a way on your own. It's amazing that some songwriter out there knows your thoughts, knows your feelings, knows your humanity.

"The world is full of compromise, the infinite red tape...But the music's got the magic, it's your one chance to escape". That is exactly what I need a song to do for me sometimes. It allows me to feel the magic and allows me to escape the compromise and the infinite red tape (aka BS).

I'm so grateful for so many people that write and perform these three to ten minute pieces of music that help me on a daily basis. They help me smile. They help me cry. They help me feel. They have the "magic power".

Bob Seger "Turn The Page" 2004

I woke up an hour or so ago after falling asleep on the couch and decided to surf the net for awhile before calling it a night for a second time. As is usually the case I have to be listening to music while surfing and I decided to check out some videos on YouTube. You find some absolute gems on this site. This morning's nugget is a version of "Turn The Page" from Bob Seger's long overdue induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

The song is instantly recognizable from that opening wail from the saxophone segueing into "on the long and lonesome highway east of Omaha". I think that a sign that a song is a true classic is when it touches not just my generation or even the one before mine but the one that follows. If you happen to check Harrison's Ipod you will find the version from Live Bullet on it. I remember him telling me that the Metallica version didn't come close and that they should have just left it alone. I agree with the sentiment but at the same time Metallica released "Garage Inc." as a tribute to the songs and music that heavily influenced them. You have to give 'em props for that.

What is it about this song that makes it so memorable besides the understated musicality? The lyrics are about being on the road night after night. It isn't something that I can really identify with but going a little bit further you realize as you sing along or "playing the star again" that for about 5 minutes you become Bob Seger, you become a tired rock'n'roller, you become the lyrics. That is the true beauty of this song. You're driving down the highway, the song is playing full blast on the stereo and "echoes from the amplifiers are ringing in your ears".

I heard that Bob Seger is touring this summer. Sounds like a plan.